To The Animal Kingdom and Back Again
by Greek Falcon
Summary: This is a retelling of the adventure with the witch Circe. An examination of point-of-view.


This is a piece that plays with point-of-view in the Odyssey. Hope you like it!

**To the Animal Kingdom and Back Again**

I am Polites, one of Odysseus's men. At this time, I had been traveling with Odysseus for many years as we search for the shores of Ithaca. I had not seen my homeland for almost 15 years. We had been through many hardships on our way. But this, one of our most horrible troubles, came upon us in a most unexpected way as they often do.

We had landed on Aeaea, searching for food and drink.

We had lost most of our provisions in a storm a few weeks before brought on by angry blue-maned Poseidon who had spun a hurricane like you stir cookie dough.

In a group of twenty-two men, led by Eurylochus, we wandered the island looking for some civilized being. One of the men cried for us to stop. We looked up in alarm. The most beautiful sound I'd heard reached my ears. For a few moments we stood, transfixed. We followed the sound of this voice until we came to a clearing in the forest. We saw there a collection of mountain lions, wolves, and other beasts. A lion walked over to me and rubbed his head on my leg. At first I was alarmed, but when he looked up at me with the same sad eyes as a begging table dog, I lost all fear. For a moment I almost felt sorry for him. There was a human look in his manner, a pleading look. But I thought little of this as I was soon distracted by the woman I saw weaving inside the house. All of us stood too intimidated by her beauty and her mystery to call out to her.

I finally said, "Dear friends, no need for stealth; here's a young weaver singing a pretty song to set the air a-tingle on these lawns and paven courts. Goddess she is, or lady. Shall we greet her?"

Every man had been waiting for the others to speak up, so as I said this there was a rustle of agreement and we called out in unison for her to come to the door.

She turned her head and when she saw us, she gave a welcoming smile. She stood up and came to the door. "Come in, strangers. You must be hungry. I'll have some wine and cheese set out."

We needed no further encouragement. The only one who was still wary was Eurylochus. He stayed outside, watching through a window. I puzzled at this, for he must have been as hungry as I, but forget it once I saw the assortment of foods that had been laid out for us.

We ate and drank gratefully, praising the lady and thanking her for her hospitality. We learned that she was the goddess Circe. I would have been happy to stay there all my life, eating and conversing with this immortal beauty.

Suddenly she stood up tapped each of us with her wand once, muttering some words under her breath.

She had bewitched us like a suave politician, pulling innocents into her schemes.

I saw the ground become blurry before my eyes. I was aware of many smells: the smells of wine and cheese and of many beasts. I saw the ground rushing towards me as I felt my legs compress and shrink. I looked around but everything beyond a few feet was blurry.

Circe herded us towards a pen behind her house. I tried to cry out but only squeals came out. I heard the squeals of my companions. Circe threw acorns, nuts, and berries at us and with that she walked back into the house. I heard her sit down at her loom and start to sing. Her voice had changed from the beguiling melody of a nightingale's song to the harsh cries of crows. We winced at the sound as our sensitive ears were bombarded with her caws. We waited there for days, caged in the bodies of swine, capable of human thought but not of communication. It was insufferable torture. My only hope was that Eurylochus had escaped and had gone to get help.

In a few days I heard a familiar voice. I pulled myself out of a doze and recognized it as Odysseus'. My heart sank as I heard Circe ask Odysseus if he wanted some refreshment. I heard his voice, clear and confident, answer, "Yes and I have brought you a present, as I have heard you were even more beautiful than immortal Venus, goddess of love and beauty."

I listened closely to catch the scraps of speech. I heard Circe's yell of anger. Suddenly, I felt my legs elongate and my face flatten. I cried out as instead of a squeal, a man's cry came. I was overjoyed. I looked around and saw my companions standing around me. I led the rest and we went into the house to find Odysseus standing over the unconscious Circe. We learned how Hermes had given him the molu to defeat Circe's power.

Oddyseus told us how he had tricked Circe into eating the molu as easily as a mother coaxes her child to eat peas.

Odysseus wanted to stay with this lovely goddess. He argued that we had little food and were not prepared to make the trip. We would only stay for a few days. Many of the crew, especially those who had been transformed by the goddess-witch's powers argues that she was powerful and dangerous. But Odysseus, being the captain, had the deciding vote.

Review, my ducks. It'll just take a few seconds and will bring me infinate happiness.


End file.
